地中海饮食的秘密成分

地中海饮食的秘密成分

You've probably heard of the Mediterranean diet. It's touted everywhere from morning news shows to magazine articles as one of the most healthful eating styles around, but you may not know how or why this diet — which is filled with fruits and vegetables from places like Italy, Greece and Turkey — is so good for you.

你可能听说过地中海饮食。从早间新闻节目到杂志文章，到处都在吹捧它是最健康的饮食方式之一，但你可能不知道为什么这种饮食法——由意大利、希腊和土耳其等国的水果和蔬菜组成——对你有好处。

Science is only just beginning to decipher why eating some foods, skipping others or combining them in the right ways can thwart illness and ward off disease.

为什么吃一些食物，跳过一些食物，或者以正确的方式将它们结合在一起可以抵御疾病和抵御疾病，科学才刚刚开始解释这一点。

The Mediterranean diet is heavy on fruits, vegetables and olive oil. (Photo: Marian Weyo/Shutterstock)

What does the Mediterranean diet look like?

地中海饮食是什么样的?

The foundation of the diet consists of fruits like apricots, citrus, dates, figs, grapes, apples and pears; veggies like tomatoes, avocados, kale and dark green leafy spinach, onions, garlic and leeks, celery, carrots, cabbage and cucumbers; beans and legumes like chickpeas (hummus), fava beans and kidney beans; nuts like cashews and almonds; red wine (a glass a day); fish three times a week and a serving or two of low-fat dairy or yogurt each day (think Greek yogurt). Olive oil is recommended for cooking and is the main source of dietary fat in salad dressings and baking along with fats from avocado and nuts.

饮食的基础包括杏仁、柑橘、枣、无花果、葡萄、苹果和梨等水果;像西红柿、鳄梨、羽衣甘蓝和深绿色叶菠菜、洋葱、大蒜和韭菜、芹菜、胡萝卜、卷心菜和黄瓜等蔬菜;豆荚和豆类，如鹰嘴豆(鹰嘴豆泥)、蚕豆和芸豆;腰果和杏仁等坚果;红酒(一天一杯);每周吃三次鱼，每天一份或两份低脂奶制品或酸奶(比如希腊酸奶)。烹饪时推荐使用橄榄油，它与鳄梨和坚果中的脂肪一样，也是沙拉酱和烘焙中饮食脂肪的主要来源。

Why is this food regimen so healthful?

为什么这种饮食养生法如此健康?

A 2016 study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress backs up the heart health benefits, even among those who are already showing signs of cardiovascular disease.

2016年，在欧洲心脏病学会上发表的一项研究说明该种饮食对心脏健康的益处，甚至对那些已经显示出心血管疾病迹象的人也是如此。

Using 25,000 random adults from the Italian region of Molise, researchers found 1,197 with histories of heart disease. Those participants who adhered closely to the diet saw their death rate from any cause drop by 37 percent over the study's seven year period. The researchers acknowledged that their study was "observational" and that further research was needed to establish a causal link.

研究人员从意大利莫利斯地区随机抽取2.5万名成年人，发现其中1197人有心脏病病史。在七年的研究期间，那些严格遵循这种饮食的参与者无论何种原因导致的死亡率都下降了37%。研究人员承认他们的研究是“观察性的”，需要进一步的研究来确定因果关系。

How do nitro fatty acids work?

硝基脂肪酸是如何起作用的?

Researchers from King's College London and the University of California, Davis used genetically engineered mice to figure out how this biochemical process worked.

来自伦敦国王学院和加州大学戴维斯分校的研究人员利用基因工程老鼠来弄清楚这个生化过程是如何运作的。

Beneficial omega-6 fats are normally broken down in the body by an enzyme, but these nitro fatty acids block the action of that enzyme. As a result, the "good fats" stay in the blood longer, where they may have a long-lasting effect.

有益的欧米伽-6脂肪酸通常在体内被一种酶分解，但是这些硝基脂肪酸阻止了这种酶的作用。因此，“好脂肪”在血液中停留的时间更长，可能会产生长期的影响。

How to make the Mediterranean diet work for you

如何让地中海饮食对你有效果

If you want to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your life, Cartwright says to start with plenty of fruits and veggies, then add some unsalted nuts, seeds and legumes to the mix. Sprinkle in plenty of antioxidant-rich spices like curry, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, turmeric and ginger. Add fatty fish two to three times a week. Switch to olive oil for cooking and homemade salad dressings. Eating whole grains plus some low-fat dairy are great ways to get started with this Mediterranean-inspired meal plan.

如果你想把地中海饮食融入你的生活，Cartwright建议你从大量的水果和蔬菜开始，然后加入一些无盐的坚果，种子和豆类。撒上大量富含抗氧化剂的香料，如咖喱、肉桂、辣椒粉、孜然、姜黄和姜。每周添加两到三次富含脂肪的鱼。烹饪和自制沙拉酱时改用橄榄油。吃全谷物加上一些低脂奶制品是开始这个地中海式饮食计划的好方法。